Apps

Earlier today I happened upon the Android app called Photo Map. This app was developed by Levion Software, and it seems to deliver exactly the service it intended to provide. Much like a similar iPhone/iOS feature that's been in play for several years, this "Photo Map" app creates a lovely spread of photos the user took and uploaded to Google Photos. For that, it's a great piece of work, and the developer deserves their accolades. What I did not expect was that this app would remind me to check my email at exactly the right moment - the moment Google would deliver a foreboding message.

Instagram competitor VSCO has added two new film simulation filters to its mobile photography app, enabling smartphone owners to capture images with old school Kodak Portra styles. Members get access to the new KP6 filter, which offers the same look of the Kodak Portra 400VC film introduced in 1998; the new KP7 filter imitates the Kodak Portra 400UC released in 2002, but with a twist.

Back in 2016, Facebook rolled out an initiative called "Instant Games," which found some success when they were integrated within Messenger. These games allowed you start matches with other people and compete for high scores in your group chats, and some of them were actually pretty good. In its quest to make Messenger more lightweight, though, Instant Games are about to move house, and those who enjoy playing them are probably going to encounter some frustration as that happens.

For a free communications platform, Discord is pretty feature-rich. One of its core features is the ability to join multiple servers at a time, which are all arranged in Discord's left sidebar. It seems that everyone has a Discord server these days, from Twitch streamers to subreddits, which means that for some, the server bar can get packed quickly. Today, Discord is rolling out a simple solution to that problem: Server folders.

A lot of the focus in mobile technologies have centered around visual and sometimes haptic aspects of the experience. For some people, however, sound is just as important or sometimes even more important. Smartphones can help us experience the world on a different level or, for those with impairments, on a normal level. That's why Google is now putting the Android platform to use in enabling not just those with visual problems but hearing loss as well to allow them to connect and feel connected with other people and other things.

Google has already launched a range of lightweight apps meant for use in regions with limited internet access, and today it continued that trend by launching Gallery Go. More specifically, Gallery Go was launched by Google Nigeria as an easy to use, data-light photo management app. Despite that focus on using data sparingly (and taking up as little storage space as possible), Gallery Go is still packing some serious capability under the hood.

In January, SoundHound announced that Pandora was introducing an in-app voice assistant called Voice Mode in the US. This feature, which is powered by the Houndify Voice AI platform, arrived for some users located in the United States, but hasn't been available to all users until now. Pandora subscribers on Android and iOS can now use the feature to search for music using their voice.

There's a little bit of an issue with the latest Facebook app aimed at children: It lets your kids talk to strangers. For the surprisingly massive number of parents who've let their children use this app expecting it to come to no shocking end: This is real. The Facebook Messenger Kids app had a flaw in it that allowed unapproved strangers to enter group chats with your children.

Experts and parents are still debating the long term effects of exposing young ones to screens and mobile devices. It is, however, a fact of life that kids will eventually get their hands on a phone or tablet. Rather than banning them outright, some parents may prefer to train children in the proper use of modern technologies by allowing their limited and supervised use. To that end, Wondershare's FamiSafe parental control app promises peace of mind for parents while delivering the wonders of the mobile age to children at the same time.

Over the past several years, Slack has enjoyed some explosive growth, becoming a near-ubiquitous communication tool in the world of business and enterprise. As many users will probably tell you, the Slack desktop app has failed to keep pace with that growth, as it can be a slow-moving resource hog at times. Slack agrees with that assessment, announcing today that it has rebuilt its desktop app to be more responsive and efficient.

FaceApp isn’t that funny anymore. In a span of weeks, the face-altering app has found itself at the top of the app store, with frightening amount of freedom and power over users' data and information utilization. Developed by Russian company Wireless Lab, FaceApp has seen over 150 million downloads and its hilarious edits seen all over social media.

Later this year, Lyft will offer users access to real-time data on New York City's public transportation options. The company recently revealed its plan, stating that an update arriving over the next few months will present users with information on Citi Bike docks in the city, as well as bus stations and subways. The expansion will arrive despite the city's new ride-hailing rules.